Krakow: Venturing to the Motherland*

*confession: I do not know if my family is specifically from the Krakow region of Poland.  Let's just roll with it.

Leg 2 of my whirlwind spring break brought me to Krakow, Poland.  It all started when we boarded an overnight train in Vienna that Tuesday.  The sleeping rooms were extremely tight quarters, as each room fit 3 beds stacked one on top of the other.  It was all fun and games though, because I got the coveted middle bunk and was thus able to get all snuggled up before some great pillow talk.  My boyfriend slept below me, and according to him, the ride was so outrageously bumpy and loud that it was "reminiscent of the train ride in the movie Anastasia."  Well good news is I cannot confirm that quote, first off because I have never seen Anastasia and secondly because I slept like a baby!  I just popped my earplugs in (my goodness, I swear by these things) and just got cradled off into a dreaming wonderland.  And when I woke, we were in Krakow:)

Compartment #1 inhabitants getting pumped up about their "cozy" quarters.

Compartment #2 not to be outdone in the excitement category.

But the winners have to be in Compartment #3, right? :)

As soon as we arrived, we stored our bags at our hostel (The Dizzy Daisy) and boarded another train to Auschwitz.  It's obviously not the highest note to start a new journey on, but we planned the night before and decided the trip was so important to us that we wanted to visit immediately.  The two-hour train ride took us through the desolate Polish countryside.  Considering we had barely seen any of Krakow, this train ride was my first impression of Poland, and I was quite sad.

The grounds at Auschwitz had been converted into a museum, but everything was still quite authentic.  We paid for a tour to take us through the barracks and chambers.  We were allowed to take photographs, but I didn't feel up for it (thus my lack of photos here).  I don't even have many reactions to share with you; I have found it most comforting to reflect upon my experiences there internally.  However, I will say that I was beyond blessed to have walked through the grounds holding the hands of those I love.  The museum was brutally honest, and I could not have completed the tour without them.

That night we lifted our spirits by treating ourselves to traditional Polish cuisine at the authentic Czarwone Kovate restaurant.  Let me tell you, this may have been the best dinner I HAVE EVER EATEN (and I've eaten a LOT of dinners!).  I had two entreés: First, one Szaszłyk Drobiowy z Papryka, Ogórkiem I Ziołowym Dressingiem (chicken shish kebab with peppers, cucumbers and herbal sauce) and also a plate of Pierogi Ruski Omaszczone Złocista Cebulka (dumplings stuffed with potato and cheese, covered with butter and golden fried onions).  And lastly, what's a great dinner without a great drink, so I split a jug of Wino Domowze Czerwone (homemade red wine) with one of my girlfriends.  And get THIS: all that food only cost me the equivalent of $9 US Dollars.  LOL.  The entire dining experience that night was simply spectacular.

Could this place have been any more Polish?

These pierogis may or may not have been gone in 10 seconds.

We had spent the majority of our Wednesday outside Krakow, so the next morning our group woke early to explore the city.  In contrast to my grim impressions of the Polish countryside, life in Krawkow was delightful in a quintessentially European way: filled with quaint streets, charming buildings and ornate churches. I immediately fell in love.  I won't give any hints away, family, but I also struck some gold shopping at the market:)

So this is Krakow!

This spectacular photo of Krakow's market was taken by one of my groupmates.

Two Polish girls, captivated by the beauty of Krakow's main square.

This is how buildings look here.  Like wow.

The most picturesque streets I have ever seen.

You haven't seen a church until you've seen one Krakow style (this photo taken in All Saints Parish Church).

Krakow is the birthplace of Pope John Paul II, so that explains the casual shrines we saw to him everywhere.

AHH I'M OBSESSED WITH THIS PLACE!!

The only disappointment about Krakow was something we could not control: the weather.  In Vienna, temps were certainly uncomfortable, but in Krakow, they were limiting.  Due to the freezing temperatures and harsh wind/snow, we could only be outside comfortably for 10 minutes before wanting to stop inside a coffee shop or heated church.  Because of this, we didn't get to explore the far edges of Krakow that interested us (like the Jewish Quarter).  However, we did suck it up enough to head to the Wawel Castle, built in the 14th century to house royals.

Outside the castle grounds...

And inside:)

Strolling home through Krakow's parks.

Before we knew it, we had to return to the hostel and gather our belongings in preparation for night train #2 to Prague.  I could not believe my time in Krakow had passed so quickly.  I am enthralled with the city and hope to return again one day in the summer.  Our Polish heritage is something my family holds very dearly (for example, we still sing Happy Birthday to each other in Polish!), so the trip was very meaningful for me.  I loved returning to my "homeland," and per my mother's recommendation, I remembered to say a prayer of gratitude for my ancestors who immigrated to the US to create a better life for their family.  The trip, in this sense, was just another reminder of how extremely blessed I am to be living this life.  "Sto lat" to that!

Cheers,

C

Dear God, thank you for this beautiful life, and please forgive me when I don't love it enough.

Vienna: The Gate to Eastern Europe

Commonly, people equate a college spring break with sand, the sun and more often than not a little too much beer.  Well, I'm proud to say my spring break this year was quite different.  This past week, eight friends and I ventured throughout Eastern Europe, traveling through Vienna, Austria; Krakow, Poland; and Prague, Czech Republic.

On Sunday March 10, we arrived in Vienna.  My first reactions were a tad negative.  The city--even on its busiest streets-- was quite empty (I'll cut Vienna some slack though, seeing as it was a Sunday!).  The pastel-colored buildings seemed like a futile attempt to bring warmth to the city.  The area we stayed in was old, but not really in a cultural way.  I was a little skeptical of what was to come.

However, we were pleased when we arrived at our hostel, the Wombats City Lounge.  Our group of nine divided into two rooms, and we didn't even have to sleep with any randos!  Score.  After checking in, we began a 40-minute trek to the center of the city.  This walk was BRUTAL because it was on virtually one humongous shopping street, Mariahilfer Straße.  All the shops looked the same, so it was pretty hard to distinguish landmarks to make the walk seem shorter:(  However, there were an abundance of gelatto stores on the way, so that certainly helped.

Once we passed through that district of the city, we entered the Museum Quartier, and this is where the magic happened!  I would soon learn that this grand collection of palatial buildings used to be the residences of the royal Habsburg family, an empire that ruled Vienna from the middle of the 13th century to 1918. The entire area was exquisite, filled with one impressive building after another.  

Vienna lookin' pretty: The National History Museum,

The Sisi Museum,

 and The Museum of Art History (all of which comprise the grand Hofburg Palace).

Rightfully so, we were enthralled with the area, and we liked it so much that we decided to return later that night.  Luckily for us, Sunday was the last day that a public ice rink was open at the Rathaus, a local government building.  Although we were a little timid on the ice compared to some crazy, hockey-playing Eastern Europeans, we certainly weren't the worst ones out there, so that boosted our confidence.  We ended up having a spectacular night on the ice, and we even walked away injury-free.  Winning!

The Rathaus, the backdrop of our magical night on the ice.

Holding on for dear life.

On Monday, we were determined to actually learn some history about Vienna, rather than just wandering around and taking pictures of things haha.  Two of my girlfriends and I spent the majority of our day at the Sisi Museum (which is housed in the Imperial Apartments in the Habsburg Estate).  The museum featured a lengthy exhibit about Empress Elisabeth, who married into the Habsburg family through her marriage with Emperor Franz Joseph in 1854.  Learning about Elisabeth was simply fascinating, as she was a troubled monarch who longed for freedom outside the demands of royal life.  After her assassination in 1898 she became a symbol of Austria (specifically, Vienna), and to this day she is a cultural icon.  I was completely captivated by her story, and I couldn't believe before going to Vienna I didn't know ANY of this!  Wow.  After absorbing all this knowledge, I was sure to grab some Apfelstrudel to reward/refuel myself.

Apfelstrudel, the Austrian delicacy, tasted even better than it looked!

That night we ventured past the Museum Quartier to pick up discounted £4 tickets to the "Miesterwerke des 20 Jahrhunderts" ballet at the Royal Opera House.  I could not believe what amazing seats we had for the little price we paid!  Granted, we did have to stand for a few hours (and after walking about 8 miles per day that was painful), but overall the performance was simply marvelous.  The first act was very traditional ballet, but the second was my favorite--more modern, with a darker message.  I'm amazed with how accessible culture is to people in the city.  It's just way too cool.

Outside the ballet with some of my closest ND girlfriends!  2 London girls, 2 Dublin girls and 1 South Bend girl who loves us so much she flew all the way to Europe to spend spring break here:)

Inside the theatre...Wien Musik!

Tuesday was our final day in Vienna.  It was much colder than Monday (where temps reached a scorching 12 degrees C!) so we limited our time outside.  First, we ventured to the Schönbrunn Palace, where the Habsburgs vacationed.  The palace, which reminded me of Versailles, looked beautiful even in the cold weather; I can only imagine what the grounds look like in the summer.  

Cheesing outside the Palace.

This specific building was ESPECIALLY GREAT because it had a bathroom. 

I don't know about you, but we'd be cool with summering here.

Once we finished exploring the Palace, we grabbed some peppermint tea at a nearby cafe to brace ourselves for the cold walk to Burggarten, where we saw a statue of Mozart.  I studied piano for ~10 years growing up, so I was especially impressed that Mozart lived in Vienna.  When I studied his music, he felt worlds away; therefore, you can imagine how strange it felt to realize that he walked these very streets 200 years ago.  

Mozart and flowers...could it get any better?!

For dinner our group grabbed random foods from the Karlzplatz Market.  The market consisted of both permanent restaurants and mobile stands.  This part of our night was quite pleasant, but little did we know what was ahead of us. (Uh oh...)  Before heading home, we stopped at Wein & Co, a wine bar.  Three of the six of us ordered wine, and the restaurant was not at capacity, so we thought occupying one table would be appropriate.  When the waitress took our orders and realized that half of us were not ordering alcohol, she asked us to leave, because the restaurant "was not a museum."  Now this did not sit well with us, but we didn't really know the proper way to react.  We later asked to speak with her manager-- LOL of course she was the manager-- and explained our reactions.  I think both sides were polite in the discussion, but she did have a point.  She identified a cultural difference in Austria: apparently entering a bar and failing to order a drink is considered quite rude here.  Please learn from my mistake and drink up or get out during your future Austrian endeavors!

So that's Vienna in a nutshell.  Overall, I have mixed reactions about the city.  It was quite larger than I anticipated, so we walked a ton and were often quite exhausted.  Some areas of the city (mainly the Museum Quartier) were exquisite, drenched with intense history we could still feel today.  However, the rest of the city was barren and a little eerie.  I think I may have overestimated it, and thus I was disappointed with the appearance and feel of the rest of the city.  Regardless, I did make some fabulous memories: most notably, ice skating that first Sunday night.  It was pure fun, and that is what spring break is all about :)

Stay tuned for entries from Krakow and Prague!
Cheers,
C

Family Lovin'

Hello loyal readers, boy do I have a treat for you!  One mother of an entry, dedicated to the visit of my mother (and sister, but that messes up my wordplay) here in London!!

Oh it was such fun.  Here are some details...

Friday 

Friday morning my mom and sis (from hereon affectionately reffered to as M&M) arrived.  By some insane stroke of luck we were able to connect at Waterloo Station, which is not too far from Conway, my residence hall.  I then showed them my makeshift home before we crossed the Thames and headed to Parliament.  As a Parliamentary passholder, I was able to escort them on a private tour through Westminster.  I had not seen the inner workings of Parliament since my tour on Day 1, so it was an incredible reminder of how cool my work is!  I showed them the intricacies of the House of Lords, including the Queen’s Robing Room and the Chamber itself.  Since the Commons was sitting, we couldn’t tour the chamber; instead we were able to sit in on a live member bill debate.  It was simply spectacular to see, and I really enjoyed the chance to show them my recently-acquired knowledge of the British political system.

Outside Big Ben with my sissy...

And inside Parliamentary grounds with my mamma!

Since we were in the Westminster area, we chose to see Westminster Abbey afterwards.  The Abbey was magnificent for a multitude of reasons—first off, hundreds of influential British people have been buried there, from kings and queens to Dickens and Darwin.  Secondly, Kate Middleton and Prince William were wed there in 2011, a ceremony that drew more than 72 million viewers on YouTube!   Wowza.  The building was breathtaking, but unfortunately pics were prohibited, so here's a YouTube clip of the Royal Wedding so you can see what we saw (minus the trees!).  I could have stayed in that building for hours, but I saw my lovely visitors quickly fading, so we retreated back to Conway so they could crash for a bit.

Coffee=life when your body clock thinks it's 3 in the morning.

The rest of Friday was quite laid back.  I remember the awful feelings of jet lag, so I could sympathize with M&M.  After some resting at Conway, they retrieved their bags and got settled at their hotel in Soho.  I met them there later for some free wine and cheese in the lobby (one word: ideal!) before heading out for a relaxing dinner.

Saturday 

Saturday morning I was not going to buy the jet-lagged excuse anymore!  I reunited with M&M early at Trafalgar Square for breakfast.  I also took the chance to proudly show off the academic building where I study.  

The London Center, home of my studies here in London.  

Before leaving the area, we knocked off two more must-sees from our list: The National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.  Um hello, culture!  We were oh-so-efficient in the Trafalgar area that we had time to kill than anticipated before our 3:30 afternoon tea appointment.  Thus, we tubed to the Marble Arch and took some great pics (see below).

The classic "I just escaped being violated by a gypsy" face.

Underneath the Marble Arch, site of our gypsy scare.

Posing with a Double Decker.  Could I be any more British, people?

Once the gypsies had sufficiently scared us away, we ventured into Hyde Park.  Unknown to me, the park hosted quite a few Olympic events this summer, so it was currently in a state of renovation.  Therefore we didn’t see quite as many flowers or pretty scenic things as I had hoped.  Rest assured, we had a blast walking around The Serpentine (the park’s lake) and finding our way towards Kensington Palace.  We surveyed the grounds, according to my sister, Kensington “is a pretty chill palace.”

Outside the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial in Hyde Park.

Pretty chill.

At 3:30 we were able to sit for tea, and it ROCKED.  I had reserved a table for us at the Orangery at Kensington Palace, and what a great call (if I do say so myself!).  The White Peony tea was light and delicious, and the finger sandwich/croissant/pastry tray was divine. 

Girlies getting all fancy.

Afternoon tea on royal grounds?  Don't mind if I do!

The food was so filling that even hours after our return to Central London, we still weren't hungry!  We ended up eating at 9 pm... wicked late for Bobber standards!  My boyfriend had returned from a casual weekend trip to Slovenia, so he was able to join us.  We gladly revisited the free wine and cheese bar as my family prepped for dinner.  We ended up going to a goofy but yummy American restaurant in Covent Garden; what a great end to a jam-packed day.

Sunday

Sunday was also an early morning!  I met M&M for 10:00 am mass at the Brompton Oratory, a 170-year old church in the Kensington area.  The church was stunning, but once again photographs were prohibited :(  Afterwards we grabbed brunch at an adorable French café. Once satiated, we explored some more culture at the Victoria & Albert Museum and the National History Museum.

Goofing off at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Once museum-ed out, we ventured for Harrods.  There was chocolate EVERYWHERE in their confectionary, so for three women who gave up chocolate for Lent, the experience was slightly torturous to say the least.  Once again, my sis articulated it perfectly when she proclaimed, “Ugh, the devil is EVERYWHERE here.”  Preach, sister.  Good news is I did not walk out totally emptyhanded; I found a bar of salted caramel toffee to devour.  

Our Bear posing with the Harrod's Bears!

Next we crossed something off of my sissy's to-do list: visiting Platform 9 and 3/4!  Now for all you non-Harry Potter fanatics out there, let me explain: Platform 9 and 3/4 is the platform used by young wizards in the Harry Potter series to take their trains to Hogwarts, the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  In the movies Harry reaches the platform by departing from Kings Cross Station, which is an actual train station here in London!  We had such fun trying on the station's Harry Potter props and pretending to be super magical for a few minutes.  (I know the full wizard transformation did not occur though, because if it had, Prince Harry would have appeared on one knee.)

Getting our wizard on.

Our final stop of the day was the crazy crowded Oxford Street, one of the shopping megacenters here in London!  With my mama's help, I picked up two beautiful coats, a dress and a sweater.  The coats are a superb buy because now it won't look like I'm wearing just my gray peacoat in all my study abroad pictures (I swear I'm wearing different shirts underneath!).  

Attack of the Grey Coat.  Love it but so happy to have new coats to supplement my outerwear:)

Monday

Monday I was in class for the majority of the day, but I did get to meet up with M&M during my lunch break.  (Let me tell you, nothing is more casual than getting out of class and meeting your mother and sister at Trafalgar Square to get a lemon poppyseed muffin haha!). 

Let's appreciate this picture because the sky is beautifully blue and I'M WEARING A NEW COAT.

Later that night we had a more substantial meal when we took my roommate for dinner in Covent Garden.  Afterwards, we saw the Les Miserables production at the Queen's Theatre.  Whoa.  Although we didn’t have quite the best seats (don’t ever trust Leicester Square Discount Ticket Box Office!  Just don’t!), we could not have enjoyed ourselves more.  The vocals were simply phenomenal, and we had so much fun improvising our own versions of the songs on the way out of the theatre!

I dreamed a dream that I was given the greatest mother ever...oh wait, that's real life :)

Tuesday

The fifth day of the trip, Tuesday, also marked the last:(  We did try to make the most of it though, starting with an early breakfast with my boyfriend and his family.  Subsequently, we walked to the "less chill" Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard!  We could not believe how gorgeous it was outside-- nearly 50 degrees-- so we thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor ceremony.  When it was over, we even took a few steps into nearby St. James' Park for a photo op!  I think my fam thought I was simply nuts, pulling them aside randomly for pictures, but truth was I wanted to milk every last minute I had with them.  Before I knew it, we had arrived at Westminster Station, our departing point.  Within two seconds into our embraces I started crying...classic me!  I just didn't want to let go.  I already cannot believe how lucky I am to be living this life, and to share it with them (even just for a few days) was icing on the cake.  

Two of my favorite girls in the whole wide world!

LOVE YOU M&M! THANKS FOR VISITING!

 

Now be sure to stay tuned for some more family loving, when my father and other sister visit me after Spring Break:)